Could we have fit any more into one weekend?? An Oct. 2014 TR update 4/5/15
- Thread starter librarygeek
- Start date
NinePoundLemon
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2014
I'm a little late, but I'm here!
Cute nails! And great timing for the Magical Express. I've only taken it once, and we had to wait forever (inside and again on the bus). It probably wasn't as bad as it seemed, I was just excited to get going.
I love the robes! Which colour was yours?
The strawberries and cream is so pretty. If I ever go to tea I'm definitely getting that.
My husband and I are staying at the GF for the first time on our next trip. We were supposed to stay at the Contemporary, which I've stayed at before and am completely in love with, but when the discounts came out, they couldn't add it to our room because the dates were sold out or something. So we saved a ton of money by switching to the GF.
I'm excited to read about the rest of your trip!
Cute nails! And great timing for the Magical Express. I've only taken it once, and we had to wait forever (inside and again on the bus). It probably wasn't as bad as it seemed, I was just excited to get going.
I love the robes! Which colour was yours?
The strawberries and cream is so pretty. If I ever go to tea I'm definitely getting that.
My husband and I are staying at the GF for the first time on our next trip. We were supposed to stay at the Contemporary, which I've stayed at before and am completely in love with, but when the discounts came out, they couldn't add it to our room because the dates were sold out or something. So we saved a ton of money by switching to the GF.
I'm excited to read about the rest of your trip!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Thanks! The room was really incredible.
Glad you're here! I got very lucky with ME - the last two times we ended up waiting forever, and it's definitely frustrating when you've been sitting on a plane and just want to be in Disney!
I ended up with the red robe
At tea they give you a choice of either two pastries or strawberries and cream. I've picked the strawberries and cream both times because it's just so good!
I hope you enjoy the GF! I totally different feel from the Contemporary, but still really awesome in its own way.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Downtown Disney & Epcot
Three of us headed out of our room to visit Downtown Disney. I was looking for a pin bag for a friend (which I never did find), and I wanted to see the new co-op Marketplace store.
We went to the D-tech area, because one of my friends wanted to order and design a phone case. I thought it was neat to pick out a picture for your phone, but a little pricey considering the limitations of personalization. And besides that, they didn't offer anything for my phone anyway.
This was right next to the co-op and Cherry Tree Lane, where all of the Vera Bradley and Dooneys are, so of course we had to drool over those a little!
I enjoyed looking at the co-op stuff, but I will admit that I was a little bit disappointed. I think that most of the stuff was available online already, and I'd purchased some of what I liked. Surprisingly, I didn't buy anything here!
We also looked through the World of Disney. I actually didn't end up buying anything in Downtown Disney, but it was still nice to look around.
Our plan was to go to Epcot for dinner, so we took a bus to Beach Club and walked from there. My friend that is also a CM tried to get me in with her pass, but she forgot to visitor passes. That was okay, because I just activated my annual pass! We were just trying to get me an extra day on it, in case I decided to come back again the following year (we were talking about coming back for ToT 10 miler again, but they cancelled it for 2015 so it turns out not to matter).
The other girls decided to eat at Mexico quick service location, but I was not passing up Food and Wine! I stopped at 4 booths to collect goodies, and then joined them at a table. They had met up with two of the others that were staying with us that evening!
First up was Scotland, where I got the scallop and Innis and Gunn beer:
Since I'm combining my usual dining reviews in this TR, I'll give some detailed info on the foods:
Seared sea scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon (gluten free) $4.50
The scallop was cooked well (which can be tricky with scallops) but the gratin really elevated this dish to another level taste-wise. Spinach, cheddar, and bacon combined with a scallop cant go wrong with that! I only wish there were more of it.
Innis & Gunn® Original $3.50
My favorite drink at the festival and a contender for best beer Ive ever had, period. The flavor was different than anything else Id had before. It was sweet but not too much so, and not too bitter.
Australia:
Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies $6.25
Yum! Everything about this dish was delicious. The lamb was cooked well, and I loved the mint pesto (that might have been the best part). The potato crunchies also added the perfect level of crunch and texture. Definitely one of my top dishes from the festival!
Patagonia:
Roasted Verlasso salmon with quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri (gluten free) $4.75
The salmon that I got was cooked very nicely, and the quinoa was good too. I liked the chimichurri but I was expecting a little more from it after what Id heard. Certainly not a bad dish, but not one of my absolute favorites either.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir Rosé $2.50
This is what it is basically a cheap rose, nothing terribly special. Reminded me a lot of a white zinfandel.
These were all pretty close to Mexico. We then headed around the World Showcase the long way before leaving, so I also stopped at Belgium for some dessert:
Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream $3.50
This was the perfect dessert treat. The waffle was very warm and right out of the waffle maker. I loved the berries and whipped cream too. Relatively simple, but very good.
We got to the front of the park right as Illuminations was ending:
Unfortunately, as we were leaving Epcot, one of my friends started experiencing a pretty bad panic attack. Three of us went back to the room to get a car (she didn't want to take the monorail back), while one of us stayed with her. They ended up having to call the paramedics. Luckily, she was fine once she got back! But it was definitely unfortunate.
Three of us headed out of our room to visit Downtown Disney. I was looking for a pin bag for a friend (which I never did find), and I wanted to see the new co-op Marketplace store.
We went to the D-tech area, because one of my friends wanted to order and design a phone case. I thought it was neat to pick out a picture for your phone, but a little pricey considering the limitations of personalization. And besides that, they didn't offer anything for my phone anyway.
This was right next to the co-op and Cherry Tree Lane, where all of the Vera Bradley and Dooneys are, so of course we had to drool over those a little!
I enjoyed looking at the co-op stuff, but I will admit that I was a little bit disappointed. I think that most of the stuff was available online already, and I'd purchased some of what I liked. Surprisingly, I didn't buy anything here!
We also looked through the World of Disney. I actually didn't end up buying anything in Downtown Disney, but it was still nice to look around.
Our plan was to go to Epcot for dinner, so we took a bus to Beach Club and walked from there. My friend that is also a CM tried to get me in with her pass, but she forgot to visitor passes. That was okay, because I just activated my annual pass! We were just trying to get me an extra day on it, in case I decided to come back again the following year (we were talking about coming back for ToT 10 miler again, but they cancelled it for 2015 so it turns out not to matter).
The other girls decided to eat at Mexico quick service location, but I was not passing up Food and Wine! I stopped at 4 booths to collect goodies, and then joined them at a table. They had met up with two of the others that were staying with us that evening!
First up was Scotland, where I got the scallop and Innis and Gunn beer:
Since I'm combining my usual dining reviews in this TR, I'll give some detailed info on the foods:
Seared sea scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon (gluten free) $4.50
The scallop was cooked well (which can be tricky with scallops) but the gratin really elevated this dish to another level taste-wise. Spinach, cheddar, and bacon combined with a scallop cant go wrong with that! I only wish there were more of it.
Innis & Gunn® Original $3.50
My favorite drink at the festival and a contender for best beer Ive ever had, period. The flavor was different than anything else Id had before. It was sweet but not too much so, and not too bitter.
Australia:
Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies $6.25
Yum! Everything about this dish was delicious. The lamb was cooked well, and I loved the mint pesto (that might have been the best part). The potato crunchies also added the perfect level of crunch and texture. Definitely one of my top dishes from the festival!
Patagonia:
Roasted Verlasso salmon with quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri (gluten free) $4.75
The salmon that I got was cooked very nicely, and the quinoa was good too. I liked the chimichurri but I was expecting a little more from it after what Id heard. Certainly not a bad dish, but not one of my absolute favorites either.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir Rosé $2.50
This is what it is basically a cheap rose, nothing terribly special. Reminded me a lot of a white zinfandel.
These were all pretty close to Mexico. We then headed around the World Showcase the long way before leaving, so I also stopped at Belgium for some dessert:
Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream $3.50
This was the perfect dessert treat. The waffle was very warm and right out of the waffle maker. I loved the berries and whipped cream too. Relatively simple, but very good.
We got to the front of the park right as Illuminations was ending:
Unfortunately, as we were leaving Epcot, one of my friends started experiencing a pretty bad panic attack. Three of us went back to the room to get a car (she didn't want to take the monorail back), while one of us stayed with her. They ended up having to call the paramedics. Luckily, she was fine once she got back! But it was definitely unfortunate.
DisneyKid4Life
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2013
I like the idea of designing a phone case, but it seems like if you don't have an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, you're often out of luck. Which is probably good for me, because I don't even have a choice not to spend the money, lol.
That pic of SE at the end is beautiful. I love the light on it.
Oh no, so sorry about your friend. Glad she was ok though.
That pic of SE at the end is beautiful. I love the light on it.
Oh no, so sorry about your friend. Glad she was ok though.
elphie101
Left my heart in Tomorrowland
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2008
That's a bummer to hear about the phone designing at the co-op store. I've been looking forward to checking it out (we didn't make it there on the wedding trip), though I should have suspected the custom phone cases were overpriced.
Food and Wine looks delicious!! I'm totally in the same bot as you - I can't eat at regular Epcot QS when F&W is around! I'm sorry the evening ended on a down note, but I'm glad things were ok by the end of the night.
Food and Wine looks delicious!! I'm totally in the same bot as you - I can't eat at regular Epcot QS when F&W is around! I'm sorry the evening ended on a down note, but I'm glad things were ok by the end of the night.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Yeah, I have a Motorola Moto X, so no case for me. But I was actually given a super cute Beauty and the Beast case as a gift recently, so I'm quite happy with that!
I love that SE pic - I took it with both my cell phone and my camera, but go figure the cell phone pic ended up coming out better!
Yeah, I mean they seem overpriced to me. They're definitely nice quality, but as far as the designs... I think it was like $45 for a case. You could choose either white or black background, and then there were a bunch of stock pics to choose from. I mean, there was definitely variety, but nothing that I thought was super amazing. And then you could choose to add your name or not. That was the extent of the personalization, and I feel like there are much cuter Disney phone cases on places like Etsy!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Indeed, it was a good night until that little incident - but everything turned out okay
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I've been wanting to update my TR, and have had the time... but unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my travel notebook! It has all of my notes and everything in it from the trip and I usually use it a lot to write these. I've been looking everywhere for it and hopefully it will turn up. If I don't find it in a week I guess I'll attempt to continue the TR from memory :/ I have a terrible memory which is why I write everything down lol. But I promise I haven't forgotten about this!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
10 miler Expo
Still haven't found my travel journal, sigh. But I remember the expo pretty well since I wrote a blog post about it, so here we go. Thank goodness I take so many photos!
The next day was Friday, and I wanted to hit up the race expo before going to the parks. I was going as early as they opened, which wasn't until 10 am unfortunately. Cutting into my park time! If you're not familiar with RunDisney, every runner has to attend the expo to pick up their race packet. You can also spend some time there looking at what the vendors have to offer and buying stuff if you want it!
One of the girls that was staying with us lives locally and is a nanny, and had to work that Friday. She was going to the expo in the morning and bringing the baby she watches, and swung by the Grand first to pick me up on the way so we could go together. This baby was so adorable - she had the most gorgeous blue eyes! Pretty soon we were at the ESPN World of Sports. We got there around 9:40 but it seems they had opened the expo early so we got to go right in, and it wasn't too crowded yet!
First stop was to pick up our race packet, where they give you your bib. Each runner is assigned a number and a corral, which determines when they start. Because so many people run Disney races not everyone can start at once, so they do it in waves: one group of people, then 3 minutes later another, etc. Starting earlier is obviously better because, well, you don't have to stand around and wait too long - plus, you're further away from the sweepers, the people that can pick you up and take you off the course if you fall behind the mandatory pace. You submit your time from another race in order for them to determine where to place you. The corrals for this race were A-J.
I had run the Hershey 10k last April in Hershey Park with a really good time - I think it was about one hour and 10 minutes, so based on that I was projected to finish the 10 miler in about 2 hours. However, when I got the email Disney had placed me in corral I, which was amongst people that were expected to finish in 2 1/2 hours. That's a big difference! I emailed them and was told there was nothing they could do and I was really disappointed. However, when I picked up my race bib...
See that E in the corner?? That's right, they did fix it! The "I" originally on my bib had an E sticker over it, and I was so thrilled to be able to start where I was supposed to, especially after training so long. There was another kerfuffle about the pin that I pre-ordered (it had to do with them having my birthday down wrong, which now that I think about it may have something to do with the corral being wrong also), but we finally got it straightened out. Then it was on to the room with the vendors!
This place is like heaven for Disney and running fans, but I was determined not to spend too much of my money, especially since I already have so much running stuff! We stopped to check out the map for the race, which showed we'd be leaving from Hollywood Studios, running to the gates of Animal Kingdom, and then back through the Wide World of Sports before finishing in Hollywood Studios.
The RunDisney area also had a peek at the medals for this year. I took a pic of the ones for this weekend. I would be earning that Tower of Terror one!
We explored all of the booths that were set up. I was good and only bought one thing - a running headband from SweatyBands. I was looking for something to match my Alice in Wonderland costume, and found a cute sparkly black one with a bow on it. I was also excited to see the booth for One More Mile. I'm a big fan of their stuff, and a couple of months ago I won a contest on facebook to come up with a new slogan for their shirts: I submitted "Will Run for Dole Whip." And lo and behold, they had my shirt right there on display! So exciting to see that!
The baby was starting to get fussy and we were mostly done anyway, despite the fact that we had just met up with some of our friends that had arrived, so we headed out of the expo. My friend dropped me back off at the Grand Villas so I could drop off my expo stuff and get ready for my solo afternoon! I love my friends but was also looking forward to doing some Disney on my own
A couple more peeks at the Grand:
And then I was off to use some of my FP+ and just enjoy my afternoon at...
Magic Kingdom! A very short monorail ride away!
Still haven't found my travel journal, sigh. But I remember the expo pretty well since I wrote a blog post about it, so here we go. Thank goodness I take so many photos!
The next day was Friday, and I wanted to hit up the race expo before going to the parks. I was going as early as they opened, which wasn't until 10 am unfortunately. Cutting into my park time! If you're not familiar with RunDisney, every runner has to attend the expo to pick up their race packet. You can also spend some time there looking at what the vendors have to offer and buying stuff if you want it!
One of the girls that was staying with us lives locally and is a nanny, and had to work that Friday. She was going to the expo in the morning and bringing the baby she watches, and swung by the Grand first to pick me up on the way so we could go together. This baby was so adorable - she had the most gorgeous blue eyes! Pretty soon we were at the ESPN World of Sports. We got there around 9:40 but it seems they had opened the expo early so we got to go right in, and it wasn't too crowded yet!
First stop was to pick up our race packet, where they give you your bib. Each runner is assigned a number and a corral, which determines when they start. Because so many people run Disney races not everyone can start at once, so they do it in waves: one group of people, then 3 minutes later another, etc. Starting earlier is obviously better because, well, you don't have to stand around and wait too long - plus, you're further away from the sweepers, the people that can pick you up and take you off the course if you fall behind the mandatory pace. You submit your time from another race in order for them to determine where to place you. The corrals for this race were A-J.
I had run the Hershey 10k last April in Hershey Park with a really good time - I think it was about one hour and 10 minutes, so based on that I was projected to finish the 10 miler in about 2 hours. However, when I got the email Disney had placed me in corral I, which was amongst people that were expected to finish in 2 1/2 hours. That's a big difference! I emailed them and was told there was nothing they could do and I was really disappointed. However, when I picked up my race bib...
See that E in the corner?? That's right, they did fix it! The "I" originally on my bib had an E sticker over it, and I was so thrilled to be able to start where I was supposed to, especially after training so long. There was another kerfuffle about the pin that I pre-ordered (it had to do with them having my birthday down wrong, which now that I think about it may have something to do with the corral being wrong also), but we finally got it straightened out. Then it was on to the room with the vendors!
This place is like heaven for Disney and running fans, but I was determined not to spend too much of my money, especially since I already have so much running stuff! We stopped to check out the map for the race, which showed we'd be leaving from Hollywood Studios, running to the gates of Animal Kingdom, and then back through the Wide World of Sports before finishing in Hollywood Studios.
The RunDisney area also had a peek at the medals for this year. I took a pic of the ones for this weekend. I would be earning that Tower of Terror one!
We explored all of the booths that were set up. I was good and only bought one thing - a running headband from SweatyBands. I was looking for something to match my Alice in Wonderland costume, and found a cute sparkly black one with a bow on it. I was also excited to see the booth for One More Mile. I'm a big fan of their stuff, and a couple of months ago I won a contest on facebook to come up with a new slogan for their shirts: I submitted "Will Run for Dole Whip." And lo and behold, they had my shirt right there on display! So exciting to see that!
The baby was starting to get fussy and we were mostly done anyway, despite the fact that we had just met up with some of our friends that had arrived, so we headed out of the expo. My friend dropped me back off at the Grand Villas so I could drop off my expo stuff and get ready for my solo afternoon! I love my friends but was also looking forward to doing some Disney on my own
A couple more peeks at the Grand:
And then I was off to use some of my FP+ and just enjoy my afternoon at...
Magic Kingdom! A very short monorail ride away!
DisneyKid4Life
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2013
How great to be able to get a drive to the expo. That had to help at least save a bit of time.
It's weird but the entrance into ESPN kind of reminds me of Universal for some reason.
OMG Becky, seriously????? THEY PICKED YOUR SHIRT!!!! Did you buy one? That is so cool!!
It's weird but the entrance into ESPN kind of reminds me of Universal for some reason.
OMG Becky, seriously????? THEY PICKED YOUR SHIRT!!!! Did you buy one? That is so cool!!
blabbermouth
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2008
Thanks for the info on the expo, seems fairly straightforward.
Glad they were able to bump you up a couple of corrals!!
Glad they were able to bump you up a couple of corrals!!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
How great to be able to get a drive to the expo. That had to help at least save a bit of time.
It's weird but the entrance into ESPN kind of reminds me of Universal for some reason.
OMG Becky, seriously????? THEY PICKED YOUR SHIRT!!!! Did you buy one? That is so cool!!
That's right, I never thought of that - but they do have the same sort of globe thing that's outside of Universal!
I know, it's was so cool!! When I won the contest they actually sent me a free shirt so I have one, I wear it all the time for runs and will hopefully be able to wear it in a race someday too!
Yeah, I figured that runners know all of the details but it's something totally new to those that haven't done Run Disney - I had no idea how any of it would work before I started!
And I was so relieved that I was moved up corrals!
khaleesi
Life is a Special Occasion
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2013
Oh wow!! Glad you were able to make it on time!! Those robes are gorgeous... how thoughtful!!
Yay for afternoon tea!! One of my favorite things to do at WDW!!!
Love the Mickey and Minnie silhouettes!
Super cool that they picked your shirt idea
Yay for afternoon tea!! One of my favorite things to do at WDW!!!
Love the Mickey and Minnie silhouettes!
Super cool that they picked your shirt idea
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Oh wow!! Glad you were able to make it on time!! Those robes are gorgeous... how thoughtful!!
Yay for afternoon tea!! One of my favorite things to do at WDW!!!
Love the Mickey and Minnie silhouettes!
Super cool that they picked your shirt idea
I'm such a sucker for the tea! I love it and I'm hoping that if I can convince my parents to do Disney again, I'll be able to take my mom there.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Thanks! It was a ton of fun!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Solo MK Afternoon
I arrived in the Magic Kingdom to see it festively decorated for the fall! Very fun, but I was especially excited about going back later that evening for the Halloween party for my first time. This was just a taste!
Speaking of taste, it was around noon and I hadn't eaten much for breakfast, so I was ready for lunch! I wasn't sure what I wanted, but eventually made my way here:
I wasn't in the mood for something fried or anything heavy, since I was planning to do some rides! So I went with the Broccoli Peppercorn Salad - Mixed Greens, Garden Vegetables, Chicken, Broccoli, and Parmesan tossed with a Creamy Peppercorn Dressing - $8.99
It was okay. I wasn't a big fan of the peppercorn dressing, but that's just a result of my own personal tastes. Everything else was good and fresh, and it's a good salad! It did the trick - and I liked the fact that even the cups were Halloween themed!
I had made some FP+ reservations for the afternoon, and they were about ready! But as I left Columbia Harbor House I noticed a photopass photographer outside of the Haunted Mansion. I'd never seen one there before so of course I had to stop for a photo op!
Then it was on to use my first FP, for my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain!
I'm pretty sure it was in the 80's this day - I don't remember but I'm clearly wearing a tank top and shorts in the photos so it was definitely warm enough to enjoy a trip down the mountain! There was a little boy and his dad sitting behind me, and it was the boy's first time on the ride. It was so cute to listen to him remark about everything! Another little advantage of going solo, I think. If I had a companion I would probably not be paying attention to other people's conversations (sorry for the eavesdropping!)
I still had time before the next FP, Space Mountain, so in the meantime I made my way into Adventureland.
I will admit that there was another reason I chose a lighter lunch... so I could get a snack later on! And of course if you know me, it should be no surprise what I got...
If you didn't know me, you might think in Adventureland I would go for a Dole Whip. But nope! I'm a Citrus Swirl girl all the way! After thoroughly enjoying my favorite Disney treat, I did make my way here:
And as I was heading to Space Mountain, I passed Stitch with almost no line! I'm not a huge Stitch fan, but I'm not going to pass up a quick and short character meet and greet, and I've never met Stitch before so why not!
And then I got my ride on Space Mountain!
I had one more FP for the day, and that was for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. That FP was for 2:40, and I wanted to get there right when it started so I could ride and then also catch the Festival of Fantasy parade at 3. I knew it would be close so I wanted to get in right on time. However, at this point it was only about 2 o'clock or so. I decided to go ride Ariel's ride. It was a 25 minute wait so I figured get on, ride, and I should be off right in time for 7 Dwarfs! I was right up at the front when the ride broke down. Ariel: so close yet so far!
They kept saying it would only be a few minutes. I waited around for 10 and then decided to leave. It probably wasn't too much longer, but if I waited it would put all of my afternoon plans in jeopardy! This was my only chance to see Festival of Fantasy, as we had plans for the other afternoons we'd be in Disney.
I did still have time to kill, so I went into one of my favorite shops - Village Gifts, filled with Beauty and the Beast goodies! And I took pictures of everything I wished I could buy but didn't:
And then it was finally time for my FP!
I will say that I thought the ride was cute, but it didn't really wow me in any way. I'd heard such interesting things about the cars they were using, but it didn't feel much different to me. Ah well, it's still a nice fit in New Fantasyland.
And then I made my way to Main Street just in time for the Festival of Fantasy Parade! One of my friends had just arrived - literally, she got off Magical Express, threw her stuff in the room, and came to MK for the parade! So I met up with her and we enjoyed watching it together. I'm not usually a big parade person, but it was so colorful and fun!
Definitely a good one for princess fans! After that we made our way back to the room so we could get changed into our Halloween costumes! We had a character dinner at 1900 Park Fare and then would be heading right to the party!
I arrived in the Magic Kingdom to see it festively decorated for the fall! Very fun, but I was especially excited about going back later that evening for the Halloween party for my first time. This was just a taste!
Speaking of taste, it was around noon and I hadn't eaten much for breakfast, so I was ready for lunch! I wasn't sure what I wanted, but eventually made my way here:
I wasn't in the mood for something fried or anything heavy, since I was planning to do some rides! So I went with the Broccoli Peppercorn Salad - Mixed Greens, Garden Vegetables, Chicken, Broccoli, and Parmesan tossed with a Creamy Peppercorn Dressing - $8.99
It was okay. I wasn't a big fan of the peppercorn dressing, but that's just a result of my own personal tastes. Everything else was good and fresh, and it's a good salad! It did the trick - and I liked the fact that even the cups were Halloween themed!
I had made some FP+ reservations for the afternoon, and they were about ready! But as I left Columbia Harbor House I noticed a photopass photographer outside of the Haunted Mansion. I'd never seen one there before so of course I had to stop for a photo op!
Then it was on to use my first FP, for my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain!
I'm pretty sure it was in the 80's this day - I don't remember but I'm clearly wearing a tank top and shorts in the photos so it was definitely warm enough to enjoy a trip down the mountain! There was a little boy and his dad sitting behind me, and it was the boy's first time on the ride. It was so cute to listen to him remark about everything! Another little advantage of going solo, I think. If I had a companion I would probably not be paying attention to other people's conversations (sorry for the eavesdropping!)
I still had time before the next FP, Space Mountain, so in the meantime I made my way into Adventureland.
I will admit that there was another reason I chose a lighter lunch... so I could get a snack later on! And of course if you know me, it should be no surprise what I got...
If you didn't know me, you might think in Adventureland I would go for a Dole Whip. But nope! I'm a Citrus Swirl girl all the way! After thoroughly enjoying my favorite Disney treat, I did make my way here:
And as I was heading to Space Mountain, I passed Stitch with almost no line! I'm not a huge Stitch fan, but I'm not going to pass up a quick and short character meet and greet, and I've never met Stitch before so why not!
And then I got my ride on Space Mountain!
I had one more FP for the day, and that was for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. That FP was for 2:40, and I wanted to get there right when it started so I could ride and then also catch the Festival of Fantasy parade at 3. I knew it would be close so I wanted to get in right on time. However, at this point it was only about 2 o'clock or so. I decided to go ride Ariel's ride. It was a 25 minute wait so I figured get on, ride, and I should be off right in time for 7 Dwarfs! I was right up at the front when the ride broke down. Ariel: so close yet so far!
They kept saying it would only be a few minutes. I waited around for 10 and then decided to leave. It probably wasn't too much longer, but if I waited it would put all of my afternoon plans in jeopardy! This was my only chance to see Festival of Fantasy, as we had plans for the other afternoons we'd be in Disney.
I did still have time to kill, so I went into one of my favorite shops - Village Gifts, filled with Beauty and the Beast goodies! And I took pictures of everything I wished I could buy but didn't:
And then it was finally time for my FP!
I will say that I thought the ride was cute, but it didn't really wow me in any way. I'd heard such interesting things about the cars they were using, but it didn't feel much different to me. Ah well, it's still a nice fit in New Fantasyland.
And then I made my way to Main Street just in time for the Festival of Fantasy Parade! One of my friends had just arrived - literally, she got off Magical Express, threw her stuff in the room, and came to MK for the parade! So I met up with her and we enjoyed watching it together. I'm not usually a big parade person, but it was so colorful and fun!
Definitely a good one for princess fans! After that we made our way back to the room so we could get changed into our Halloween costumes! We had a character dinner at 1900 Park Fare and then would be heading right to the party!
DisneyKid4Life
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2013
Columbia Harbour House is a wonderful choice for lunch. Love that place.
I wonder if the PP photogs set up at HM only when there's a party that night. I don't recall seeing one during a normal day either.
Yup. I don't know that I've heard anybody completely rave about Mine Train, but most do seem to enjoy it for what it is.
Wow, I'm really impressed by what appears to be a pretty good parade spot given the time line. I'm not a parade person either, but this is going to be on my list each trip I think. I really like it.
I wonder if the PP photogs set up at HM only when there's a party that night. I don't recall seeing one during a normal day either.
Yup. I don't know that I've heard anybody completely rave about Mine Train, but most do seem to enjoy it for what it is.
Wow, I'm really impressed by what appears to be a pretty good parade spot given the time line. I'm not a parade person either, but this is going to be on my list each trip I think. I really like it.
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